Access Living of Metro Chicago News

An organization which advocates for the rights of people with disabilities has sued Uber, asking a federal judge to order the popular ridesharing service to provide equivalent levels of service to those with non-folding motorized wheelchairs as it does for people without such mobility disabilities.

Whether it’s the cost of compliance - in the form of handicapped restrooms, ramps, elevators or even simple signage – or the cost of a trial, the dollars can add up quickly for small businesses facing accessibility lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Last year, of the 94 ADA accessibility lawsuits filed in Chicago's federal courts, 77 of them came from just eight plaintiffs. And most of those were represented by one of two legal practices, leading some of those sued to assert they were targeted by serial litigators.

The odds that an individual shop or restaurant could be hit with a disability equal access lawsuit under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act remains small. But the likelihood is increasing, as more lawyers take aim at shops of all sizes, including owners of small mom-and-pop shops in older buildings.